Admittedly, a sense of trepidation came over me when Gorillaz, the “virtual band” and creation of Britpop band Blur frontman Damon Albarn, announced its Central Florida debut as part of its current North American tour. Releasing stellar albums since its debut record in 2001, the collective has relied heavily on clever animated figures, innovative visuals, and a revolving door of guest musicians who have injected flavor and depth to each subsequent release.
What I wasn’t prepared for was the absolute environment of sheer joy and tangible exuberance the real-life incarnation of the band brought to the Amway Arena in downtown Orlando on Friday. The band—Albarn, five backup singers, two drummers, a percussionist, a keyboard player, and a bassist and guitarist—brought nothing but pure, unadulterated enthusiasm and entertainment to the very devoted and responsive crowd that gathered to see and experience the highly anticipated event.
A darkened stage that spotlighted a massive projection screen kicked off the band’s set; on it, a simulated television screen appeared that beamed a series of eye-catching visuals in quick succession. As the volume level steadily rose to a blare, the screen displayed the words “The Static Channel” (a reference to the group’s forthcoming 2023 album, Cracker Island) just before the large ensemble made its way to its designated spots on the stage. In no time, the booming bass work of the very lively Seye Adelekan and crunchy guitar sounds from Jeff Wootton kicked things off as the band launched into a sizzling version of “M1 A1” from its first album. The comfortably dressed Albarn, sporting a t-shirt, denim jacket and baggy, rolled up jeans, wasted no time in getting up close and personal with the audience. He made the most of the low, accessible stage that featured easy access to the front of the tightly packed, general admission floor by interacting with the crowd. He even let that interaction spill over into becoming one with the audience; for the performance of “Tranz,” Albarn made his way into the sea of elated patrons and performed the bulk of the song while among the crowd. Later, he’d be escorted by security to make his way through the floor to climb up the stairs to sing from the lower bowl area of the arena while performing “Rhinestone Eyes.” If the band’s founder was searching for a way to elevate this animated concept band to a more humanistic level, he brilliantly achieved that feat.
As an outspoken fan of a variety of musical styles and genres, the always forward-thinking Albarn has consistently drawn from a vast palette when concocting each Gorillaz release; delving into hip-hop, funk, trip-hop, electronica and R&B has never been off the table for him. Being able to meld these worlds and bring them to life in a live, concert setting proved his true mettle and made it clear that his brainchild isn’t only an in-studio, cartoonish creation.
The heavy dub sounds of “Last Living Souls” early in the night proved that point. Albarn’s steady, droning vocals over the deep, thumping bass and drum sounds elevated the song and the arena to heights that, clearly, many in attendance weren’t fully expecting. And, with each passing number, the momentum and the audience’s roar of approval at the opening notes of each of the night’s performance songs soared to deafening levels. It was almost as if those who came to experience this rare treat were being continually bowled over and consistently pulled into the amalgamation of sight, sound, and art that was marvelously unfolding before them. That was the vibe inside the nearly sold-out, cavernous arena.
Playfully receiving various accouterments from those down in front of the stage, the good-spirited Albarn donned a pair of puffy Minnie Mouse ears, a pink airbrushed baseball cap with his band’s name emblazoned on it, and a pair of furry pink sunglasses fans had handed him. He took a few opportunities to autograph some items for those pressed against the front barricade and invited a young fan onstage to take a turn blowing into a long, slender horn he’d use to kick off the next song on the setlist.
A key ingredient of this sheer spectacle was the superb sound mix the band benefitted from throughout the evening. Clear, crisp sound helped elevate Albarn’s delicate piano intro to “O Green World” to sonic perfection and really showed off the variety of tones and harmonies the backup singers were pumping out (especially during “Empire Ants”) for the duration of the evening. The pristine, trippy, mid-tempo electro beats of “El Mañana” showed off the band’s versatility and the slow, simmering R&B-infused “New Genius” (featuring Albarn’s snazzy falsetto vocals) gave the active audience a brief respite from the remainder of the unabashed dance party feel that would soon follow.
Teasing that this tour would feature surprise guests along the way, Gorillaz made good on the promise. The unexpected appearance of hip-hop legends De La Soul’s Dave and Pos for “Feel Good Inc.” was a massive boon for this already-magnificent performance. Egging on the already revved crown, Pos encouraged the audience to sing and chant along throughout the upbeat dance number for which everyone gleefully complied. The night ended with another hip-hop luminary, Del the Funky Homosapien appearing to deliver tight rhymes during “Rock the House” and the night-ending “Clint Eastwood.”
The sheer exuberance and positivity that emanated throughout the venue for the duration of the 100-minute set was only a portion of the distinctive and entertaining spell Gorillaz cast on this audience. In a rare, and not easy to accomplish feat, the band provided joyful music, a sense of community and inclusiveness, stunning visuals, and undeniable, raw talent for this incredibly special occasion. Whatever its methodology is, the blend of art and music Gorillaz were able to concoct for its stunning presentation is one that’s rare and enviable in today’s musical climate.
The once dubbed “virtual band” proved, on this memorable night, that it is able to fantastically blend sights and sounds to weave its own highly original and impressive aura and environment. In what’s a strong contender for the most stunning performance I’ve witnessed this year, I can assure that my initial apprehension and uncertainty for what I was to expect from this show was unceremoniously smashed to bits the minute I got up from my seat to dance to the music early in the night.
Setlist
M1 A1
Last Living Souls
Tranz
White Light
Tomorrow Comes Today
19-2000
Rhinestone Eyes
Cracker Island
O Green World
On Melancholy Hill
El Mañana
New Genius (Brother)
Empire Ants
She’s My Collar
Kids With Guns
Interlude: Elevator Going Up
Andromeda
Dirty Harry
DARE
Momentary Bliss
Encore:
New Gold
Feel Good Inc. (with De La Soul)
Rock the House (with Del the Funky Homosapien)
Clint Eastwood (with Del the Funky Homosapien and Sweetie Irie)
